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Results and Discussion

Very few attempts have been made in the past to exploit the wheat material for the search of resistance against flag smut in the country, as the disease was always considered of very minor importance. However, Pal and Mundkur (1941) reported IP-4 and IP-111 to be highly resistant out of 97 varieties tested. Tyagi and Anand (1966) identified wheat strains NP 871, NP 876, K-65, Sonora-63 and Sonora-385 to be free from flag smut infection. In similar studies, Singh and Sethi (1975) reported that wheat varieties VL-426, HD 2217, HW 161, HB 121, BH 113, Noreno and 112-P4 exhibited than two per cent infection. Recently, Goel and Jhooty (1984) have screened diversified germplasm and grouped them in various categories including those considered to be immune against flag smut pathogen. In the studies carried out by the present authors, 126 strains of Triticum aestivum and strains of T. durum were put to vigorous testing in the sick plot and out of them 19 strains of T. aestivum and two strains of T. durum were found to be free from infection against 80-100% infection in susceptible controls. The screening process was continued during 1980-81, 81-82 and 82-83. Similar observations regarding the immunity of "durums" to Urocystis agropyri have been made by Joshi (1978) and Goel and Jhooty (1984). Though Sonalika consistently exhibited immunity in the present studies, contradictory reports are available regarding its performance against flag smut. It was reported to be susceptible by Bedi (1957). However, Goel and Jhooty (1984) observed less than 5% incidence in this variety.

The cultivars or varieties identified to be resistant and showing less than 1% infection in the present investigations against flag smut pathogen are listed below:

Triticum aestivum: HD 2189 (HD 1963/HD 1931), HD 2211 (HD 2136 x HD 1949/HD 1949), HD 2278 (HD 2119 x 249), Raj 821 (NP 875/HD (M) 1508), Raj 1865 ((SD-6485-8156/Chr x Son-Kl. Rend) Bb-Cal zbz (chiroca), Raj 1804 (HD 2009 x Raj 821), Raj 1974 (HD 2185 x HD 2160), Raj 2185 (UP 291 x HD 2206), WH 185 (Norteno x Sh. Sonora), WH 188 (Ciano-India) 23584), WH269 (Cno'S' x 564-Kl. Rend/C 281-WL 202), WH 291 (HD 1925 x HD 832-23584), WL 927 (Bw 42-HD 1553), WG 1012 (HD 1977 x (WG 143 x USA 255) x PV 18), UP 276 (Pi 62-II-53-5267 Son. 64/Son. 64-Kl. Rend), K 7432 (Cno-India-Bb), IWP 40 (S 64-NP 852 x Kal²), DWL 5023 ((Cr 'S'-Lds) Gr 'S'), Sonalika ((II 53-388 x An) Yt 54 x N 108) LR).

Triticum durum: Raj 911 (Vo-229), Raj 1555 (Cocorit- "S" x Raj 911).


Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to Dr. Sheodhan Singh, Principal Investigator, Wheat Pathology, IARI, New Delhi for his valuable guidance and to Dr. H. G. Singh, Director (Res.), Sukhadia University for providing facilities and encouragement.


Literature Cited

Bedi KS (1957) Fighting the flag smut. Indian Fmg 7: 25-27.

Bhaftnagar GC and Vijay Laxmi (1975) Flag smut of wheat in Rajasthan. Paper read at the 14th All India Wheat Research Worker's Workshop.

Bhatnagar GC, Gupta RBL and Vijay Laxmi Mishra (1978) Effect of flag smut caused by Urocystis agropyri on yield compoments of wheat cultivars in Rajasthan, India. Pl Dis Reptr 62: 348-50.

Butler EJ (1918) Fungi and diseases in plants. Thacker Spink & Co; Calcutta, India.

Goel RK and Jhooty JS (1984) Screening of wheat germplasm for resistance to flag smut. Indian J Agric Sci 54: 739-741.

Joshi LM (1978) In Wheat Reserch in India 1966-1976. pp. 142-3. Indian Council of Agriculture Research, New Delhi.

Kothari KL and Dangi SRS (1968) Flag smut, a porential threat to wheat cultivation in India. Farmer and Parliament, June 1968.

Mundkur BB (1944) Some rare and new smuts from India. Indian J Agric Sci 14: 49-52.

Pal BP and Mundkur BB (1941) Studies on Indian cereal smuts. III. varietal resistance of Indian and other wheats to flag smut. Indian J Agric Sci 21: 687-694.

Rao UP (1952) Porgress in Plant Protection in India. F. A. 0., Plant Protection Bull 1: 11-16.

Sethi GS and Singh HB (1971) Flag smut threatens Kalyansona. Intensive Agric 9: 13.

Singh HB and Sethi GS (1975) Reactions of Wheats to Flag smut, Indian J Genet 35: 450-453.

Tyagi PD and Anand SC (1966) Flag smut resistance in Wheat. Wheat News letter, USA 13: 42-43.

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